Admiral! Admiral!
What is it?
Several dozen Japanese ships were spotted off the coast of
Danghang-po terrorizing the civilians!
Alert the soldiers at once!
Admiral!
Have you already forgotten Commander Yu Jung's orders?
Do you think you will survive if you defy the Emperor's command?
What are you waiting for? Alert the soldiers at once!
We will sail out to Danghang-po and crush the enemy!
Yes, Admiral!
Admiral!
I'm giving you one last chance.
You will not live if you defy the Emperor's command.
Return to your base immediately.
If you attempt to stop the Chosunese Navy from doing its job,
I could get you out of the way first.
You will regret this!
Let's go!
Be seated.
I'm sure you've been informed about the enemy fleet that is moving west.
Commander Yi...
Yes, Admiral!
Magistrate Uh...
Yes, sir.
I want Kwang-yang and Bang-dap divisions
to seal off Kyunneryang immediately.
Yes, sir!
Constable Kim...
Yes, sir.
Send reconnaissance out to Danghang-po and Jinhae once more.
We need an accurate count of the enemy vessels.
You got it, sir!
Are we going to take hostile action?
We must.
But the order from Yu Jung of Ming...
Are we to obey an order that tells us not to fight the enemy?
I have no intention of obeying the order.
On March, 1594, Yi Soon-shin made a decision to attack
the enemy that was attempting to move west.
It had been exactly one year after his eighteenth battle in Ung-po.
The Japanese army that began to to move south in April, 1593,
completed their withdrawal to
Kyung-sang Province in June the same year.
Thereafter, they built a wall around Pusan Harbor and prepared for a
prolonged stay receiving supplies and reinforcements from Japan.
By this time, as many as 900 Japanese ships were positioned around Pusan.
Yi Soon-shin positioned his navy against the Japanese Navy at
Hansando with Kyunneryang straits sealed off.
Ming allies led by Yu Jung and Cho Seung-hoon as well as the
government and citizen armies of Chosun were keeping the Japanese
checked on land at Tae-gu, Eui-ryung and Sunsan.
But the Ming leaders who was in command of the Cho-Ming allied
forces at the time strongly suppressed Chosun's aggression
against the Japanese invaders.
This was because all that the Ming leaders wanted was to negotiate
peace and end the war since they had already succeeded in keeping
the war out of their territory.
Knowing this, the Japanese invaders manipulated the half-hearted
Ming leaders and continued their violent acts against Chosun.
Commander, over there?
Those miserable, pathetic, worthless bastards!
It wouldn't satisfy me to cut them into pieces and pickle them in salt!
If I could just get my hands on them!
Move it, move it!
General, it's the enemy reconnaissance vessel!
Don't mind them. Just continue your work.
But if they should attack us with cannons...
Ming is Chosun's mother country.
That means the Ming generals are their leaders in this war.
How could they dare attack us when their leaders have forbid them?
They can kick and scream, but they can't touch us.
I want to feed those octopus heads to the dogs!
I want to take their ship apart and bum them piece by piece!
Commander...
Yes, you can fart louder when you hold it back and let it out at once.
Turn the ship around! Return to the headquarters!
Yes, sir!
Turn the ship around! Return to the headquarters!
Yi Soon-shin is preparing to attack the Japanese?
A lowly warrior of Chosun is attempting to defy
the Ming Emperor's command?
And you couldn't stop him?
He threatened to make my life, and I...
What? How dare he!
Arrest Yi Soon-shin at once!
I will make him pay for defying the Emperor's command!
What are you waiting for? Arrest him at once!
I'm certain he will put up a fight, sir.
Let us begin.
According to reconnaissance, total of 31 enemy ships have moved west.
They are currently touched at Danghang-po, Jinhae and Juh-do...
twenty-one in Danghang-po, seven in Jinhae and three in Juh-do.
We will divide our fleet into three large groups:
a group to attack the enemy in Dang-po and Jinhae,
a group to seal off Kyunneryang and defend the headquarters,
and a group on standby to deal with a possible counterattack.
High commanders Yi and Won, reorganize the fleet and
work out the details of this operation.
Yes, sir.
And Constable Won...
Yes, Admiral.
Did you send the message to the ground forces?
Yes, sir. They've been instructed to stamp out the enemy attempting
to flee by land once we hit Danghang-po and Jinhae.
We will launch tomorrow, 4th of March, at 05:00 hour.
Inspect your ships, weapons and your crew, and prepare for battle.
Yes, Admiral!
Fine, you may go.
We launch tomorrow at five o'clock in the morning,
so if I could get a definite answer...
I said you may go.
Come tomorrow, these arrows will pierce through the enemy soldiers!
Hustle, guys!
Can't you move faster?
Inspect everything thoroughly.
Yes, sir!
These are emergency medical supplies for injuries that
might occur during the battle.
Thank you.
Take it.
Couldn't you bring that when we're not around?
I get anxious every time I see that stuff...
Oh dear, I'm sorry. I didn't think that far...
Hey! She carried that heavy sack all the way here with
those fragile hands for us.
You shouldn't be complaining. You should be thanking the lady!
Give him some slack.
He's nervous because we haven't been in a battle in a while.
Well, that's true. I guess we're all kind of nervous...
Lady Chung-hyang...
would it be too much if I asked you to hold my hand just once?
It would give me so much strength out there on the battlefield...
Of course not.
These hands will defend our country against the enemy.
It's my honor to hold your hands.
Wait!
Then you have to hold my hands too.
Come back safe.
Hey! Sang-nam, you can't do that!
- It's my turn! - No, it s my turn!
Did you meet with the special military inspector?
Yeah...
How id it go? Can we count on the ground forces tomorrow?
Well, to tell you the truth, I don't know.
What do you mean?
He doesn't have any special powers either.
He's tiptoeing around the Ming generals like the rest of them.
Darn...
Why do we have to tiptoe around the Ming generals
when we're punishing the enemy that invaded our land?
That's what I want to know.
Do you intend to obey the Supreme Commander and fight in this battle?
Of course.
Sir, Yu Jung sent official memos not to take hostile action against Japan.
As a result, none of the ground forces are showing support for this battle.
If we disobey the Ming Minister and launch our ships...
We haven't had a decent battle for an entire year because the Japanese
have been hiding in their headquarters without making a move.
What His Majesty wants more than anything is a victory report from us.
But sir, can his Majesty break the will of the Ming generals?
That might prove to be difficult.
Then...
If our defiance causes a problem
and Yu Jung makes a strong protest to the royal court...
We can deal with that when that happens.
Sir, it concerns me about Yu Jung.
If General Yi Bin is lukewarm about this battle,
that means he is afraid of Yu Jung.
If we go ahead with this battle,
you may have to fight the Ming leaders as well.
Perhaps you could put it on hold for now and
discuss it with Commander-in-chief Kwon Yul.
What if in that time they retreat to their headquarters?
But sir...
Don't make it complicated. We must stay true to our principles.
We are warriors of Chosun, and the safety of our people is
what is most important to us.
The enemy is hurting our people right before our eyes.
How can we think twice about going after them?
Launch the fleet!
All sails aloft! Launch the fleet!
On March 4, 1594, Chosunese Navy led by Supreme Naval Commander
Yi Soon-shin set sail for the Second Danghang-po Battle
on Yi's first battle after assuming his post.
By this time, the Three Provinces Navy had grown to 124 galleys.
Before the battle, Yi Soon-shin divided his fleet into four groups
and positioned them separately.
He placed 20 ships in Kyunneryang to defend his headquarters,
and also placed another fleet on the 4 kilometer space between
Jeung-do and Saweemal to prepare for a possible counterattack
from the enemy positioned in Jepo, Ung-po, Angolpo and Gaduk.
He assembled a special assault fleet taking 10 ships each from
Left Cholla and Right Kyung-sang navies and 11 ships from the
Right Cholla navy, and ordered simultaneous attack on
Danghang-po, Oriryang and Jinhae.
Lastly, the remaining galleys, led by Yi Soon-shin himself,
took position near Juh-do in a crane-wing formation prepared
to destroy the enemy that attempt to flee the battle.
It's the enemy! The enemy!
Oh no!
General! General!
What's the commotion?
The Chosunese Navy has attacked!
What?
Fire!
Wipe out the enemy! Fire!
Fire! Turn them into mincemeat!
Drive the arrow off wrath into their skulls!
Destroy the enemy!
Reload the cannons and continue the attack!
Fire! Don't leave a single enemy ship afloat!
Fire! Don't send a single enemy soldier back alive!
Fire! Wipe out the enemy!
The second Danghang-po Battle which took place on the
4th and 5th of March, 1594 ended in another overwhelming victory
for Chosun with 31 Japanese battleships destroyed.
But only a handful of Japanese soldiers were killed.
Well aware of the strength of the Chosunese Navy,
Japanese had abandoned their ships when the attack began
and fled on foot on land.
We've destroyed 31 enemy ships, but...
We weren't able to go after the enemy that fled ashore, sir.
Do you mean General Yi Bin did not come through on land?
No, sir.
I've repeatedly emphasized the importance
of joint operation from land and sea!
Move out. We will return to Hansando Headquarters.
Yes, sir.
Move out. Return to the headquarters.
Retreat! All ships retreat!
How dare you! What is the meaning of this!
Take him outside!
How dare you! Let go of me! Let go!
What is the meaning of this?
It looks like your time is up in this life, Ambassador Dam.
What? Do you know who I am?
I am His Majesty the Ming Emperor's messenger Dam Jong-in!
How dare you treat an Imperial messenger who is here to negotiate
peace for your country!
Shut your mouth!
General Kato...!
Peace? Are you sure what you want with Japan is peace?
How could you stab us in the back and have the Chosunese Navy
attack us, if what you want is peace?
What are you talking about?
Chosunese Navy just destroyed 31 of our battleships!
What?
This peace talk is over!
I will cut off you head right now and send it back to the Ming camp,
and request reinforcements from Japan!
What are you waiting for? Kill him!
Stop!
What is the meaning of this, General Kato?
Stay out of this, General Konishi.
What do you seek to accomplish by killing the Ming envoy?
I never liked this whole idea of peace negotiations
that you've been pitching from the very start!
This is what His Eminence the Taiko wants.
Do you think I don't know about your little games?
An eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth... I'm just getting started with this one.
And won't stop until every Ming and Chosunese bastards are wiped out!
If I stripped Yi Soon-shin of his rank... would that appease you, General?
I understand your rage, but what could you benefit by acting this way?
Like General Konishi said, if is your Taiko that decided
to pursue this negotiation.
What could you gain by defying him and killing a diplomatic envoy?
Leave this matter to me.
I will bring Yi Soon-shin down from the rank of
Supreme Naval Commander.
I give you my word. Would that satisfy you?
Do you think Kato knows about
us fabricating the Taiko's capitulatory letter?
No one knows about that other than the three of us in this room.
Meanwhile, in the Japanese camps
a tale of great fraud and deception was unfolding...
the fabrication of Hideyoshi's capitulation letter to Ming.
One year earlier, Shim Yu-kyung went back to Ming with Hideyoshi's
demand for an Imperial Princess of Ming and cession of Chosun's
four provinces as conditions for peace.
But Shim Yu-kyung had to have known that they were
outrageous demands that the Ming government would never accept.
He would falsely present to his court that Japan's only conditions
for peace are permission to pay tributes and acknowledgment of
Hideyoshi as a sovereign king.
But Ming court flat out rejected the deal demanding a
written acknowledgment of capitulation from Japan.
There was no way that Hideyoshi, who still held on to the dreams
of Ming Conquest, would submit to this request.
So Konishi and Shim Yu-kyung would have a false letter of
capitulation fabricated by Genzo.
Once I deliver the letter of capitulation, my government will
not only acknowledge your leader as a sovereign king but perhaps
agree to cede a part of Chosun to Japan as well.
It is very important that we keep the Chosunese army quiet until then.
If they should provoke Kato and Wakizakas aggressive nature,
they could sabotage everything.
How about this?
An official edict?
Yes, Ambassador Dam.
If the Chosunese forces do not stop their aggression, I cannot
guarantee that what happened today won't happen again.
The Japanese warriors are quite aggressive by nature.
And peace will never be reached between Ming and Japan.
Shim Yu-kyung?
That's why an official edict is necessary.
The imperial emissary's edict cannot be ignored by anyone,
not even the King.
Yi Soon-shin will not be able to act in haste
once this order is delivered.
After Yi Soon-shin's attack on Danghang-po,
Ming ambassador Dam Jong-in who was conducting peace negotiations
in the Japanese camp, issued an outrageous order to Yi
forbidding him from taking further military action against Japan.
You have accomplished a great deal last March between 4th and 5th.
Distinguished services deserves great praise,
but how do we praise an offender who defied the Emperor's command?
It's a shame.
On top of that, you've placed a high official of Ming in a terrible situation.
How will you redress your offenses?
It leaves me speechless to hear you say
that it is an offense to have fought the enemy.
I'm sure you've received Ambassador Dam's order.
I have.
Be aware that the ambassador speaks not only for himself
but for the great Ming army and the Emperor as well.
High officials of Ming are in the process of negotiating
peace for your country.
So stop your aggressions toward the Japanese at once.
Then I will overlook your last blunder.
That's impossible.
Admiral Yi!
Peace offer that accompanies not one word of apology for their
past offenses is unacceptable.
If they want peace, the instigator of this war, Hideyoshi of Japan,
must first apologize for his crimes against our people.
The fact is they do not want peace.
Admiral...
How do I know? Because the Japanese forces have not stopped
their acts of violent against the people of Chosun.
In fact, they have become more violent than ever.
Am I to believe that these are acts of those who want peace?
A Ming Ambassador is staying in the Japanese base in Pusan.
Do you have no regard for his safety?
Do not attack them again without our permission.
The Japanese invasion force must first stop all of their military
activities and move their troops out of Chosun, General.
I am Minister Yu Jung of Great Ming!
I am in command of the Chosun-Ming allied forces!
The burden of saving Chosun is on us, the soldiers of Chosun.
You dare continue to fight me?
Do you think you will get away with this?
What do you mean you didn't get a definite answer from Yi Soon-shin?
This is truly frustrating.
Why is it so difficult to suppress
a single military officer of a subordinate country?
There is no reasoning with him.
So are you going to let him do whatever he wants?
If the Chosunese do not put down their arms,
this peace negotiation will never reach a settlement.
But don't you have the capitulation letter from the Taiko of Japan?
Yes, we do.
Then the Emperor will grant them sovereign state status,
so have the Japanese troops pulled out instead.
That will never happen.
Japan is intent on keeping at least the three southern provinces
of Chosun under its control.
So it's only fitting that they maintain their presence.
All we have to do is to stop the Japanese
from invading the borders of Ming.
What happens to Chosun is not our business.
But if Chosun doesn't cooperate the Japanese will be provoked.
The military force of Japan is much stronger than you think.
Are you going to take the blame if they rise up again,
expand the battle line and invade the borders of Ming?
Make an example of Yi Soon-shin
even if you must involve the royal court of Chosun.
Then the Chosunese warriors will be suppressed.
Meanwhile, King Sonjo had finally returned to the capital city.
He had been drifting for two ears from Gaesung to Pyong-yang to Uiju
to Hae-ju after fleeing the capital 20 days after the outbreak of war.
Yu Sung-ryong who, in one day, was appointed and dismissed from
the seat of the Prime Minister in the beginning of the war,
was reappointed Prime Minister upon return to the capital.
As the leader of the Privy Council and Military Affairs Council,
he was working hard to restore order in the war-torn country.
Commander Yu Jung is telling me to punish Yi Soon-shin
for attacking the Japanese.
He is threatening to pull his troops out to Liaodong otherwise...
Left Minister...
Yes, Your Majesty.
What happens if I allow the Ming forces to withdraw their troops?
Can we defeat the Japanese on our own without the help of Ming?
It would be a difficult ask, Your Majesty.
There're over 800 enemy vessels positioned around Pusan.
That means they have tens of thousands of soldiers.
And it is the Ming army that holds them back from advancing north.
Without them...
Then must I forsake Yi Soon-shin?
No, Your Majesty.
There is no one who can lead the navy more effectively than Yi Soon-shin.
More importantly, he is the enemy's most feared warrior.
For this reason, the morale of the soldiers remain high and the
people nearby are earning their livelihood in the midst of war.
If you submit to Ming pressure and pull him out from the front,
there will be fierce protests of the people and
the soldiery against the royal court.
I can't let them withdraw their troops, and I can't forsake Yi Soon-shin.
Then what am I to do?
Solutions, I want solutions to get us out of this dilemma!
Commander Yu Jung sent me an angry letter asking me how a lowly
warrior could show more pride and arrogance before him than the King.
A warrior who is more poised and self-assured than the King...
Your Majesty...
He can be self-confident because the heart of the people is with him.
How can I bring him own with my own hands
when the people trust and depend on him?
Crown Prince, I want you to meet Yu Jung.
Persuade him with the authority of a sovereign.
Protect Yi Soon-shin with your own hands.
Father...
You've led the court for the past two years
and proven yourself worthy of the throne.
I no longer have the strength to lead Chosun.
Soon I will hand over the scepter to you and retire.
Father, I beg you to withdraw your command.
No, no. Yi Soon-shin is no longer my subject. He is your subject.
And you must protect him with passion and devotion.
You are a man of virtue and kindness, so I am certain
you will find a way to save Yi Soon-shin.
Remember, the fate of Chosun is in your hands.
Will the Crown Prince be able to change Minister Yu's mind?
Not likely...
Then why would His Majesty do this?
It's politics. He made the best move he can make for himself.
If Prince Kwang-hae succeeds in saving Yi Soon-shin,
authority of the royal house will be enhanced as a whole,
and if he fails and Yi Soon-shin is dismissed,
the people will point the finger at the Crown Prince for his failure.
He uses his own son as a shield to protect his authority...
At your service, Your Majesty...
Left Minister, I'd like you to
attend to the military affairs of Cholla Province for a while.
Stay in Chunju and help the Crown Prince, and put your effort into
producing competent warriors.
If we only had more men like Yi Soon-shin,
the royal house of Chosun would not have to stoop to the Ming Minister.
This would be good for Yi Soon-shin as well.
I have placed too much burden on his shoulders for too long.
He needs break. Don't you agree?
I couldn't agree more, Your Majesty.
I will do everything in my power to fulfill your desire.
I am counting on you.
Do you remember the day His Majesty returned to the capital?
His Majesty didn't expect a tearful welcome from the people,
but I'm sure he didn't think the streets would be empty either.
Now imagine Yi Soon-shin coming through those same gates.
What would the people do?
Brother!
He would receive a welcoming many times bigger than His Majesty.
Hundreds, no thousands of people would run out after him with
teary eyes calling out his name.
After all, he is a hero that this war has created.
What are you thinking?
That we should give Yi Soon-shin political power?
I'm just talking about heart of the people...
Brother...
Warriors are as simple-minded as the peasants.
They believe that they can control the word with the sword.
It is dangerous to give them control of the government.
But Yi Soon-shin is still useful to us as long as we are at war...
Your Highness, I am truly ashamed
for placing such a heavy burden on your shoulders...
It is my duty as the Crown Prince of Chosun.
Let's go!
The Crown Prince is coming south to persuade Yu Jung?
Sir, you can't just sit here and let this play out.
The Prime Minister has implored you to find a way out of this.
The Crown Prince doesn't have a chance against Yu Jung.
It is likely you will lose your command, sir.
Left Minister...
Yes, Your Highness.
What must I do? How do I save Supreme Commander Yi Soon-shin?
Your Highness, you will not be able to save Yi Soon-shin.
If you fight the Ming general,
the Emperor will take his iron mace to the royal house of Chosun.
But, Left Minister...
Your dilemma should not be how you're going to save Yi Soon-shin
but how you are going to forsake him.
I have spent two full years opposite enemy from across the sea.
With the ocean between us, my purpose and my enemy's purpose
have always been very clear and simple.
And I had hoped that it would always remain simple
so that my sword would never lose its way...
- Fire! - Fire!
As the war progressed, many swords have been drawn from their sheaths.
And I had hoped that each of those swords
would always be drawn against the enemy.
But...
Lt. Yi, you miserable bastard!
What did you say!
Very well, let us see who wins!
Stop your attacks against Japan. And I will overlook your offense.
That's impossible.
I am Yu Jung of Ming!
Even with the enemy right before our eyes,
many of our swords had veered from its path.
Putting those swords back on the right path...
Is that another battle that I must fight in this war?
A moonlit night on Hansan Isle, I sit alone in the watch tower.
With a great sword worn on my side, I fall deep in thought with cares.
A melody of a flute from a distance rends my heart...